Global Citizenship: Together for a Perfect PCB Solution
Smart Automation: Odd-form Assembly—Dedicated Insertion Equipment Matters
Nolan’s Notes: Everyone Has Their Eye on India
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
January 14, 2022 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
We’re driving headlong into 2022, and there’s a lot going on in the world of PCB design, fabrication, and assembly. It’s trade show season now. IPC APEX EXPO starts in less than two weeks, and we’re all getting ready for what is, for many, the first trade show in years. Do you know where you put your business cards after your last show in 2020? I keep half a box of biz cards in my glove compartment; I’m not going to make that mistake again.
Trade shows are well represented in this week’s Top Five, along with news about a new Isola eBook on advanced materials and an article on the Factory of the Future. I imagine you’ll find more information about high-performance materials and the Smart Factory at IPC APEX EXPO.
I hope to see you all in San Diego, but if you can’t make it, check in with I-Connect007 throughout the week for the latest show updates.
New Book From Isola Highlights Importance of Material Selection
Published January 13
The latest I-007eBook, The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... High Performance Materials, authored by Isola’s Michael Gay, provides PCB designers and design engineers with guidelines for selecting the proper advanced material for each application. This free eBook can help you weave your way through the maze of available high-performance materials available now.
CES 2022: Half Virtual, Still Valuable, and Here’s Why
Published January 13
Consumer Editor Dan Feinberg has been covering the changing technology at CES for over a decade. But this year, Dan is covering the show virtually, and apparently, about half of the usual attendees also decided to log into the show instead of traveling to Las Vegas. Still, as Dan explains in this post-show review, there was plenty of innovation on display at this year’s CES.
AltiumLive 2022 CONNECT Announces European Summit Dates
Published January 13
Altium has announced the dates for its European AltiumLive event, February 2-4, 2022. Taking place one week after its U.S. counterpart, the European Summit will also be a virtual affair, with tracks including Design Principles and Practices; Simulation, Test & Measurement; Supply Chain; Manufacturing, and classes devoted to Altium tools. Registration for the European AltiumLive is open now.
Making the Most of a Smart Factory Initiative
Published January 11
In this conversation from the January issue of SMT007 Magazine, Editor Nolan Johnson speaks with Koh Young’s Joel Scutchfield about the company’s focus on the Smart Factory Initiative. They also discuss trends in the global market, including artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance, and data analytics.
Happy Holden’s Five Must-Reads of 2021
Published January 10
As we entered 2022, we asked Happy Holden to review the articles that we published last year and pick his Top Five. Always up for a challenge, Happy went through our 2021 offerings and named his five favorites, along with his criteria for selecting them. We hope you enjoy this insight into the kind of articles that Happy finds interesting.
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Building Electronics Excellence in India
09/08/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineFor over two decades, Dave Bergman has helped steer the Global Electronics Association’s work in India, from a single training course to a thriving regional operation with deep government and industry ties. In this interview, Dave explains how the group went from partnering with IPCA to opening its own office in 2010, creating India’s first domestic electronics manufacturing standard, and securing funding for dozens of Indian companies to attend U.S. trade shows.
New Podcast Episode Drop: MKS’ Atotech’s Role in Optimize the Interconnect
09/08/2025 | I-Connect007In this episode of On the Line With…, host Nolan Johnson sits down with Patrick Brooks, MKS' Atotech's Global Product Director, EL Systems, to discuss the critical role that wet processes play alongside laser systems in advancing the Optimize the InterconnectSM initiative. Brooks points to Bondfilm as a key example—a specialized coating that enables CO₂ lasers to ablate more effectively than ever before.
The Global Electronics Association Hosts Successful WorksAsia-AI and Factory of the Future Technical Seminar
09/03/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationOn August 22, 2025, the Global Electronics Association hosted the successful WorksAsia-AI and Factory of the Future Technical Seminar during the exhibition Automation Taipei 2025. The seminar brought together 81 representatives from 58 companies, focusing on the latest applications of AI in smart factories and unveiling four key directions that will drive the electronics industry’s transition toward intelligence and sustainability.
TRI's AI-Powered Inspection Solutions at SMTAI 2025
09/02/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading provider of test and inspection systems, will be joining the SMTA International Exposition & Conference. The event will be held from October 21 – 23, 2025, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, USA.
More Than a Competition: Instilling a Champion's Skill in IPC Masters China 2025
09/01/2025 | Evelyn Cui, Global Electronics Association—East AsiaNearly 500 elite professionals from the electronics industry, representing 18 provinces and municipalities across China, competed in the 2025 IPC Masters Competition China, March 26–28, in Pudong, Shanghai. A total of 114 contestants advanced to the practical competition after passing the IPC Standards Knowledge Competition. Sixty people competed in the Hand Soldering and Rework Competition (HSRC), 30 in the Cable and Wire Harness Assembly Competition (CWAC), and 24 in the Ball Grid Array/Bottom Termination Components (BGA/BTC) Rework Competition.